And So A Friendship Persevered
by fantasticality
Summary: It's those little moments and events which strengthen the friendship of Shane and Caitlyn. Happy birthday, Ada!
1. The Beginning

**_Disclaimer: I do not own Camp Rock._**

**This is a new multi-chapter I'm starting, and it's all dedicated to a special friend of mine, pyrolyn-776, since it's your special year and I couldn't fit all the crap into a oneshot. x) (: Happy birthday, Ada-chan! Love you lots, and I hope you like it!  
(Just as a note to people who wonder: There will be NO Shaitlyn romance in this story whatsoever. The Shaitlyn is all a platonic relationship. :) It's also an AU. There's no Camp Rock or a FAMOUS Connect 3.) **

**And a special thanks to a certain awesome friend, Cami (camirae) who's the the bestest Cami in the whole wide world. She, too, wrote a Shaitlyn for Ada, and it is awesome. You, like, have to go read it! (:**

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**_"You can't stay in your corner of the forest waiting for others to come to you. You have to go to them sometimes."  
–Winnie the Pooh_**

The day the two friends met was a day when most friendships were formed: The first day of kindergarten. There were two little children who stood out distinctly from the group of rambunctious kids. The girl, Caitlyn Gellar, sat alone in a small table in the corner, coloring idly in her book. The boy, Shane Gray, was surrounded in a large group of kindergarteners, laughing and having a wonderful time.

Caitlyn looked up from her coloring book and looked up at the children near Shane Gray. They all seemed to be having fun, and she wanted to join them so badly. However, her mother taught her that the right friend would approach her, and she was to stay alone because everyone she would approach would "betray" her, whatever that meant. She knew what the word "alone" meant well enough. Since her mother had given her orders, Caitlyn would obey (against her better judgment, for her mother had held that bottle that seemed to make her so silly when she'd told her that), sitting alone, watching longingly as the other children smiled and laughed happily.

Shane, on the other hand, was having the time of his five-year-old life. When he entered class, he had no idea there were this many cool people in the world. He had grown up with only his parents and older sister, who weren't very cool at all. Sure, they were nice enough, but they were boring and were rarely home to spend time with him. His father had taught him how to make friends and be nice but to keep his guard up. Shane often wondered if his dad realized he was only five and barely knew what half of the words his father said meant. Oh, well. All he had to do was make friends, and his dad would be happy, right?

The teacher, a pretty lady, Dee, observed the scene with a concerned look on her face as she stared at Caitlyn. The poor girl was alone, and she knew her mother was an alcoholic. Perhaps Caitlyn didn't know how to make friends? Her wise eyes darted to the popular Shane Gray. Oh, this boy needn't any help to have fun, though he did need to tone it down a bit. A theory came to her. A theory so brilliant, a smile lit her face.

"Alright kids, settle down," Dee trilled, clapping her hands to get her class's attention. She waited patiently for her kids to quiet their voices before she continued, "Welcome to your first day at kindergarten! Now, to get started, you children must take your seats."

All of the five-year-olds immediately began fighting over who would sit next to who. Dee's eyes carried over to Caitlyn, who was sitting calmly in her seat, not paying any attention to her surroundings. Dee noted that no one took the seat next to her. Her servant eyes darted over to Shane, who was in the middle of a tug-of-war fight between two girls.

"No, sit next to me, Shane!" pleaded a small girl with brown hair, pulling on Shane's arm stubbornly. When Shane let out a grunt of pain, she was immediately worried. "Oh, gosh, I'm so sorry, Shane! Are you okay?"

Dee smiled gently. Michelle Torres. What an adorable girl.

The other girl, Teresa Tyler, was a little, blonde spitfire. "He's sitting next to me!" she shrieked, getting all up in Michelle's face. It was time to interfere—things were getting bad.

"Now, now, girls. Michelle, Teresa"—

"My name is Mitchie!"

"I'm Tess!"

—"I think it's up to Shane to decide where he sits."

"Well, who cares what you think?" Tess huffed. "Shane likes me more, anyways, don't you, Shane?"

The boy in the middle seemed absolutely terrified of what the girls would do to him if he chose the other. "I, uh…" He looked around frantically when his eyes landed on the empty seat next to Caitlyn, across the room from Mitchie and Tess. "I'll sit next to her!" he decided, pointing over at the placid girl in the corner.

"Her?!" Mitchie and Tess exclaimed incredulously, mouths agape that he would choose that little geek over them.

Dee beamed at Shane. "Excellent choice, Shane! Girls, why don't you take your seats? Shane, you do the same."

Shane nodded at Dee and dashed over to the table Caitlyn at. When he took a seat, the girl looked up, disturbed by the sudden noise beside her.

"Who are you?" asked Caitlyn quietly, surprised. Maybe he was the true friend her mom was always talking about._ But why him?_ Caitlyn stared blankly at the kid next to her for a few seconds. _Why would my friend be a boy? Boys are icky._

"I'm Shane!" He beamed at her, giving her a smile that was missing a bottom tooth. "Who are you?"

"Caitlyn," she offered shyly, looking down at her hands in her lap. "Why are you here?"

Shane shrugged. "I needed a seat. And girls are scary."

"I'm a girl."

"No, those girls"—Shane pointed at Mitchie and Tess, who were glaring resentfully at each other—"scare me. You seem nice, though. Why are you alone?"

"I like to be alone," Caitlyn mumbled, not wanting to reveal the real reason she was alone.

"No one likes to be alone," Shane objected, smiling. "Do you have any friends?"

"Not really. Only my mommy, but she's always spending time with my uncles. I see a new one almost every week." Caitlyn giggled softly. "I didn't know I had that many uncles!"

"Great, then!" Shane grinned brightly at the girl beside him. "I'm your new best friend!"

Caitlyn tilted her head to the side, confused. "Huh?"

**And so was the beginning of a beautiful friendship. **

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I hope you liked it, Ada! And I hope everyone else liked it too. (:

Feedback is appreciated!


	2. And so a Crush was Formed

**_Disclaimer: I own nothing._**

**Here's the second chapter of your present, Ada! :) And again, a special thanks to camirae for reading through it and giving me feedback. You guys are the best! **

**Hope you guys like it!**

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"You can't stay in your corner of the forest waiting for others to come to you. You have to go to them sometimes." –Winnie the Pooh_**

Two years later found the two best friends at a playground. Nothing much had changed since the first day of kindergarten. Caitlyn was still the shy wallflower while Shane was the center of attention. Only now, they were two peas in a pod. Only now, a few problems common to little second-graders would surface.

"Shane, Shane, wait up!" Caitlyn called as she ran to her friend. She, like many other girls her age, was always so excited about little things that were so simple to those older than her.

Shane turned briefly to glance at her before a blush lit up his cheeks, and he turned again to face the front. The two boys around him snickered softly before nudging him to keep walking.

Caitlyn frowned. What was wrong? Why was he ignoring her? She knew he had heard her shouting—Shane had looked at her for a bit. But where was he going with his other friends? Fear flooded Caitlyn's mind. Why was he leaving her? So many questions were swirling around her mind, and the only answers she would receive were if Shane answered them. So she decided to ask. Only, those two boys next to them were people she didn't know, therefore she was slightly scared of them. She'd ask later.

As he was walking away, Shane felt an immense bout of guilt wrenching at his heart. He had just ignored his best friend as she ran after him. Shane wasn't blind, either. He had seen that heartbroken and confused look on Caitlyn's face as he merely walked away, leaving her alone and confused. Fear gripped at his mind. Would Caitlyn hate him after that little show?

He couldn't go back to her now, though. The two boys at his side, Nate and Jason, wouldn't let him. They had said he was a sissy for hanging out with a girl and that she was icky. Shane, being very protective of his best friend, had countered that Caitlyn was not, in fact, icky but was very nice. They laughed in his face and said that only girls hung out with girls. If boys hung out with girls, it was because they liked them. Boys hung out with boys, so Shane should hang out with them. Shane didn't want to be called a sissy or accused that he and Caitlyn liked each other, so he took their invitation, leaving his best friend behind.

Only, he couldn't leave her behind.

Turning to the two boys beside him, Shane asked, "Why do you guys think girls are so gross?"

Jason scoffed. "Because girls have _cooties,_" he stated matter-of-factly.

The boy beside him nodded vehemently. "I heard that you can die from cooties," said Nate fearfully, wringing his hands together. "At least, that's what Baron told me." Baron was an older boy who Nate frequently searched for advice from. Though he was a mere few months older than Nate, the curly-haired boy idolized him.

"But I hang out with Caitlyn a lot, and I don't think she has cooties," Shane objected, a slight frown pulling at his lips. He didn't want to die from spending time with Caitlyn. He liked her too much.

Jason gaped at the shorter kid. "Dude! That means you have cooties too!"

"What?!" Shane squeaked fretfully, a new fear biting at his mind. He was dying?! Dying wasn't an option for him! He was only seven!

Jason nodded fervently, his hazel eyes wide with a mix of curiosity and fear. "I think you do! All you do is spend time with her."

"Ooh!" Nate piped up. "Let's ask Baron!" A pudgy finger pointed at a coffee-skinned boy relaxing under the shade of an old oak tree in the playground. The two other boys nodded and decided to do as Nate suggested. They walked over to Baron as Nate dashed to his god.

"Hey," greeted Baron, waving his hand lazily and gazing up at them with half-lidded eyes.

"Baron, Baron," Nate exclaimed eagerly, "we think Shane has cooties!"

"Who?" When Shane waved shyly at him, Baron let out a sound of acknowledgement. "Oh, you. You were in last year's class, right?"

Shane shrugged and told him he wasn't sure. "But will you please help me? I think I have cooties because my best friend is a girl!"

Baron nodded as wisely as a boy of eight could. "Okay. To get rid of the cooties, you have to hug her, and that'll get rid of your cooties and her cooties," he admonished, nodding his head confidently.

Shane's face flushed a brilliant red. "H-Hug her?" His face was on fire, and his stomach felt funny (though, not in an unpleasant way) at the thought of hugging Caitlyn. "B-but won't I still be called a sissy for being her friend, though?" anxiously wondered Shane, turning to Jason and Nate with wide eyes.

Nate shrugged. "As long as girls don't have cooties, they're nice," he responded wisely.

A grin nearly split Shane's face in half, reaching ear to ear. "Then if I hug her, I can be friends with her again, and I won't die from cooties?"

"I guess so," Jason relented, nodding. He grimaced slightly at the thought of having to spend time with an icky girl.

Shane smiled brightly and bolted off to find his best friend to rid of her of her cooties. A good ten minutes were spent by Shane sprinting around the playground, looking for Caitlyn. Since she wasn't anywhere to be found, he decided to look for her inside—Caitlyn might've been in the library or something. He walked to their classroom, only to hear sniffles coming from a corner of the room.

_Caitlyn's _corner.

Walking inside, Shane's eyes landed on Caitlyn's shaking form. Concerned brown eyes widened and grew worried. "Caitlyn?" he ventured tentatively, making his way to sit next to Caitlyn. "Caitlyn, what's wrong?"

Teary gray eyes looked up at Shane. "Why did you run away?" Caitlyn whispered. "You don't like me anymore?"

Shane immediately felt guilty. An urge to cry and hug Caitlyn pulled at his conscience. "No…" He hesitated, unsure whether or not to tell her the truth. But he couldn't lie to her, not after seeing her cry. "I ran away because Nate and Jason told me that you had cooties and you could die from them!" Shane said all the words quickly, hoping Caitlyn wouldn't hate him.

"C-cooties?" she repeated breathily, eyes wide with fear. "I have cooties, and I can die from them?" She, though she already knew what cooties were, was completely terrified at learning this new fact.

"But there is a way that I can get rid of cooties. It's only if I"—Shane's face took on a shade similar to Elmo's fur—"hug you," he finished lamely, nearly whispering the last two words.

Caitlyn blushed as well. "O-okay," she agreed shyly. "If it'll get rid of my cooties."

An awkward silence overtook them, neither of the two children wanting to make the first move. Shane conceded and opened his arms. Caitlyn shyly made her way to him, walking into the embrace and reciprocating it tentatively.

Pulling away, Shane smiled brightly, a blush equally bright on his chubby cheeks. "See? We don't have cooties anymore!" Both of the children were ecstatic, happy that they would go on to live long, cootie-free lives while still being the best of friends.

Laughs came from outside the door and trailed in as Jason and Nate sauntered into the classroom. Jason eyed the loosely embracing couple teasingly. "Caity and Shaney sitting in a tree…"

"K-I-S-S-I-N-G!" Nate joined in. "First comes love, then comes marriage, then comes the baby in the baby carriage!" The teasing duo burst out laughing before Shane and Caitlyn's faces flushed a deep crimson.

"S-stop it!" Caitlyn pleaded, scandalized at the teasing. Shane agreed and nodded vigorously. His blush receded slightly, but the girl still resembled a tomato.

Jason chuckled merrily and looked over to Caitlyn. Walking over, he gave the shorter girl a noogie. "I guess you're okay. For an icky girl, that is."

Shane beamed up at Jason, knowing this was an initiation to their group. Nate, on the other hand was still staring at the still-blushing Caitlyn, a slight smile on his lips. _She's kinda pretty… _

**And so a crush was formed.**

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Heh, there we go. I figured the cooties thing was the best way to go with 7-year-olds, though they are horribly articulate. x)

Feedback is appreciated!


	3. And so a Vow was Made

**_Disclaimer: I do not own CR._**

**I hope you like this chapter! :) Sorry ahead of time for the foul language. And again, Ada, I hope you like this too! :)**

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_**"You can't stay in your corner of the forest waiting for others to come to you. You have to go to them sometimes." –Winnie the Pooh**_

Six years had passed, and Caitlyn had just turned thirteen. Still the quiet bookworm she always was, Caitlyn never had many friends aside from Shane, Jason and Nate. They always made up for her quietness, and she didn't mind. They were like her brothers. Her loud, overly rambunctious, and gross brothers. But she loved them, and they loved her. In a family way, of course.

Nate, however, had been acting pretty weird lately. He always acted overly macho around girls, especially Caitlyn, but she always figured it was just because of puberty.

Shane, on the other hand, had become much more of a ladies' man lately. He had always been very popular, but he began having dates and girlfriends. His most recent one was a hilarious girl named Allison Munroe or something. Caitlyn liked her well enough, but she was often very loud and her voice jarring.

And Jason was, well, just Jason. His fifteenth birthday was coming up soon (his mother had started him in school a year late because she didn't want him to be younger than everyone else), and he was excited about that.

The guys had also formed a band, which they were pretty good out. Caitlyn had never known all three of them could play the guitar so well. It was her favorite pastime, to sit in Shane's garage and read while they played their songs. Shane's voice was always so soothing and solid while Nate's was raspy and soulful. They both had wonderful voices, even if they would crack at times. Jason would merely sit back and strum along, stating his voice wasn't suited for singing. Though, he was known to break out into a rocking solo every now and then.

Caitlyn's mom never minded that her best friends were guys, though she always did try to encourage her to have female friends. Her mom, however, did tend to give The Talk to her fairly often, saying that Caitlyn was a beautiful young woman who was coming of age. The scandalized daughter would, however, tune her out on more than one occasion. Deep down, Caitlyn knew her mother trusted her, but she always worried because she didn't want Caitlyn to end up like her: having to raise a child at nineteen with a deadbeat husband and trying to have a career at the same time. Her mom was never violent, despite how much alcohol she drank. Sarah Gellar was always a loving woman, kind and encouraging to her daughter. Caitlyn, however, knew to never disturb her mother during one of her binges, knowing it could end disastrously.

Shane knew of Sarah's alcoholism and always encouraged Caitlyn to be careful. He always kept the door open for her when her mother was in a bad mood or was throwing up too much. He knew Caitlyn had gotten tired of all those years of holding back her mom's hair from the toilet, no matter how much she loved her. Shane always feared for his friend, knowing that she was going to get beaten one day. He had a knot in the bottom of his stomach as he walked Caitlyn home from his garage that day, but he shook it off, thinking it was something he ate.

"Bye, Shane," Caitlyn said quietly but brightly as they reached the driveway of her home. "Thanks for walking me home again."

Shane gave a grin. "I didn't want my best friend to be kidnapped, after all. I need to be here to protect you." He said it in a teasing grin, but Caitlyn knew he meant it.

Caitlyn gave a tinkling laugh, a slightly twinkle in her stormy gray eyes. "I'm a big girl, Daddy. I can walk home by myself," she admonished lightheartedly, giving him a playful punch in the arm. It was moments like this she treasured, when she was truly happy and at ease. Only Shane could make her feel that way.

"I'd die if anything happened to my baby girl," he joked, giving Caitlyn a one-armed hug. "See you tomorrow, Cait." He let go of her and waved as she walked up the driveway into the house. As he walked home, that knot in his stomach still hadn't gone away, but again, he passed it off as something he ate. But he was wrong. So very wrong.

Caitlyn, as she was walking into her house couldn't help but feel something was off as well. Where was her mother? One of her boyfriends wasn't even here, either. She checked the clock on the wall as she took off her shoes and found out why it felt so empty. It was only six, and her mom didn't get home until at least seven.

It was because it was dark out, Caitlyn decided. That was why it seemed so late. She knew her mom worked hard at her job to give Caitlyn a roof over her head, so she decided to start dinner. Spaghetti with sausage was always her mom's favorite, so she decided on that. Looking through the cupboards, she found enough ingredients for just two servings of pasta. _I've gotta go shopping later, _Caitlyn thought as she began boiling the pasta.

The cooking went quickly as she was an exceptional chef, and everything was done and ready to be served by fifteen to seven. Smiling happily at her achievement, she took the food and placed plastic wrap over the containers until her mom got home. After she was done, Caitlyn retired to the couch to read a book.

_Mom should be back soon, _Caitlyn thought, idly flipping the page of her book. _She should be home in a few minutes. _

But minutes turned into hours, and soon it was well past nine. Caitlyn had long since finished her homework and was surfing the channels on their TV. It was half past by the time her mom trudged through the door, soaking wet from the downpour outside.

"Mom," Caitlyn exclaimed, jumping up from her spot on the couch, "are you alright?" She rushed upstairs to grab a towel and spare clothes before taking her mother's sopping coat and purse. She waited patiently as her mother toweled her hair off and changed from her soaked clothes.

"Thanks, Caity," Sarah grunted as she handed over her wet outfit to Caitlyn. Her daughter dashed to the bathroom to hang them up to dry and wash later and ran back to help her to the couch.

"Mom, why are you so late?" Caitlyn asked worriedly, feeling her mother's face for any sign of a fever.

"I'm fine, just cold."

Caitlyn grabbed the thick blanket neatly folded in the basket to the side of the couch and handed it to her mom. Sarah accepted it gratefully and wrapped it around her thin frame, clinging to it as though it was her lifeline.

"Mom," Caitlyn prompted curtly after her mother was snug and warm, "why were you so late?"

Sarah glared hatefully up at Caitlyn, who was taken aback by the harsh glare. "I was fired, okay?" she spat. She wrung the blanket clutched between her hands until her knuckles turned white. "That stupid asshole fired me without even giving me a reason."

_But that still doesn't explain why she was so late, _Caitlyn thought worriedly. Then it hit her. Her mother was out drinking. And by the looks of it, Sarah had gone through at least three bottles of hard liquor.

"M-mom, we'll get through this… Don't worry," reassured Caitlyn, giving her mother a comforting squeeze.

Sarah angrily pushed Caitlyn away, making her daughter fall to the ground. Angry and solemn gray eyes stared into Caitlyn's identical, hurt ones.

"It will never work!" Sarah shrieked, getting up and throwing the blanket off of her. "I've just been fired, and it was the only thing keeping us from the streets! Stop being all sunshine and daisies, Caitlyn Marie Gellar! The world isn't fucking like that! When will you open your eyes?!"

Tears formed in Caitlyn's eyes, and her heart stung from her mother's hurtful words. She wanted nothing more than to curl up in a ball and cry.

"You had better fucking get used to all of this shit life throws at us," her mom continued. Sarah's usually warm, gray eyes steeled as she aimed a harsh glare at Caitlyn. "You have to be confident and assertive because you need to push your way through, and you're never going to get anywhere if you're a spineless little wimp!" It was obvious those last words were talking about Caitlyn, and they hurt more than when she broke her leg the year before.

Sarah grabbed Caitlyn's collar and forced her to stand up. "Grow a backbone, you little bitch, because you'll need one in the real world. If you don't, you'll end up like me with no husband and a little brat to hold you down," hissed Sarah. "There's always a chance, though. We all know you'll end up fucking that Shane boy eventually."

Caitlyn started crying right then and there. What was wrong with her mom? How much had she drunk? She had never insulted her like this before. It hurt horribly to see her like this, but part of Caitlyn was furious at her mother for talking to her like she was.

"Don't insult me," said Caitlyn lowly, "because you haven't done much at all." It was time to become assertive and grow a backbone just like her mother was instructing her. "I've practically raised myself. Who's the one who tucks you in at night? Who's the one who cooks dinner? Who's the one who cleans?!"

"DON'T YELL AT ME, YOU UNGRATEFUL BRAT!" Sarah yelled, her nostrils flaring as she breathed heavily. "Who pays for all the clothes on your back? Who brings home the food we eat? Who paid for the house we live in? I did! So don't you dare say I don't do anything!"

"What's the point of a house if you're never home?" Caitlyn objected, wanting to prove a point to her mother. "It's like I live alone!"

"Did you ever think there's a reason why I'm never home?" Sarah sneered maliciously, a mad glint in her eyes. Her hands twitched uncontrollably, as though there was a mini-seizure occurring in only her hands.

Caitlyn's eyes widened and tears flowed down her cheeks as she began sobbing. That was like pouring a gallon of salt on her already wounded heart.

"Don't sob!" Sarah shrieked, and she grabbed Caitlyn's wrist roughly. "Don't be a weak little bitch!" And suddenly, with one of her shaking hands, Sarah slapped Caitlyn before shoving her roughly down at the coffee table, breaking it.

Caitlyn's entire body ached, and she was sure she had open wounds on her back as well as her arms. Still bawling, she got up slowly and walked over to the door. She silently slipped on her shoes. Caitlyn opened the door and gave one last pain-filled look at her mother before bolting out of the door, into the rain.

Giving a choked sob, she ran through the darkness through a familiar path, seeking refuge with Shane and his parents. They were the only people she loved as much as her mother, and soon, her thoughts drifted to Sarah.

Sarah had never acted like this, no matter how much she drank. Caitlyn considered it was because of her getting fired from her job, but her mother's actions were bordering psychotic. The rain stung her cuts, reminding her of what Sarah had done. Touching her cheek gently, she found it still smarted. Just how much alcohol had Sarah consumed?

But Caitlyn didn't know one crucial fact.

Sarah hadn't been drinking.

Shane walked to the door when it was well past ten. Who could be there at this time? Of course, it wasn't like he was asleep. He was watching NCIS, and it was just getting good, so he was annoyed at whoever interrupted his program. Opening the door, it revealed a soaked, bruised, and sobbing Caitlyn. His warm brown eyes hardened, and he ushered his friend inside the door. Holding her at arm's length, he demanded, "Caitlyn, what the hell happened to you?"

Caitlyn wiped a few tears and drops of water from her face and winced slightly as her hand pressed against her still sore cheek. "M-mom happened," she whispered weakly, sniffling. "She got fired and… and she started yelling at me and…" Caitlyn let out a racking sob. "She slapped me and pushed me onto the coffee table…"

Shane immediately went to look at Caitlyn's back. He gasped at the scrapes covering it. "What did you do, break it?!"

"Um. Yeah," Caitlyn mumbled, sniffling again.

Cupping Caitlyn's good cheek, Shane wiped away her tears with his thumb and gave her a kiss on her forehead. "I'll never let her hurt you again, Caitlyn. I'll never let anyone hurt you."

Caitlyn immediately burst into tears, touched by Shane's words. She dove into his arms and hugged him, sobs racking her lithe frame. "Thank you, Shane…"

Shane wrapped his arms protectively around her, careful to mind the cuts on her back. "No one will touch you. Not while I'm around."

**And so a vow was made.**

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Dun dun dun! Le gasp! What is wrong with Caity's mom? Why is she such a bitch?? :) You'll find out soon enough.

**Feedback is appreciated! **


	4. And so a Family was Mended

**_Disclaimer: I do not own Camp Rock._**

**Heh, this chapter will probably be really weird. I dunno. Maybe it's just me, but it just seemed really surreal when I was reading it over. I dunno. You can be the judge of it. :)  
Warning: Not as much Shaitlyn fluff.**

**Hope you guys like it! **

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_**"You can't stay in your corner of the forest waiting for others to come to you. You have to go to them sometimes." –Winnie the Pooh**_

After that night, Caitlyn spent every night there for a week, only returning to her home when her mom wasn't home. She would cook dinner for Sarah and lay out a blanket before grabbing an outfit for the next day, leaving before her mom ever got home. Though she was upset with her mother, Caitlyn couldn't stand to leave her without care.

Occasionally, Caitlyn would see her mother waiting for her outside of her school. Sarah's troubled and regretful eyes would always meet with Caitlyn's hurt ones. Caitlyn would always rip her gaze away before hopping into the car with Shane and his mom with one last glance at Sarah's terse expression. It happened again on the eighth day Caitlyn spent with Shane, and she told him she planned to go back home that night.

Shane wrapped an arm around Caitlyn's shoulder protectively, hugging her. "I'm not letting you go back there. Not without us with you."

"Shane's right, Caitlyn," his mom, Katrina, added worriedly. "I don't want that to happen to you again. You could've gotten badly hurt."

"Auntie Katrina, I'll be fine. I think Mom just had something different that night is all."

"What, did she switch from vodka to a martini?" Katrina scoffed disdainfully, and her expression turned sour. "I guess a diluted alcohol has that affect on heavy drinkers instead of hard liquor."

Caitlyn looked sternly at the back of Katrina's seat. "Auntie, please don't talk about my mom like that."

"After all this, you're still defending her?" Katrina demanded incredulously. How could the girl go back to that psychotic drunk after such an event?

"She's my mother," stated Caitlyn simply, shrugging. "If I don't defend her, who will?"

Shane gave his friend a concerned look and told her he couldn't help but agree with his mother. "But there does seem something weird with Aunt Sarah," he admitted thoughtfully. "When I see her at school, watching Caitlyn, it's like she's hiding a secret. I don't know exactly what it is, but it's not like her at all."

Caitlyn nodded, agreeing with Shane. "Mom seemed different that night. She wasn't slurring, as usual. She was kind of almost… psychotic."

Katrina pulled into Caitlyn's driveway and turned around in her seat. "I just want to get this clear: You are always welcome in our house, Caity. You'll never overstay your welcome. And if it means adopting you to keep you from getting hurt like this again, so be it. We just want to know you're safe."

"…Thank you," Caitlyn managed to choke out, touched by Katrina's words. It was nice to know that she had other family she could count on should her mother go completely senile. It was hard to express all her gratitude in words, so Caitlyn merely hugged Katrina tightly and gave Shane a kiss on the cheek afterwards.

Shane blushed and gave Caitlyn a hug as well. "I can't lose you, Caitlyn. Remember? I said I'd do anything to protect you."

Giving a beaming smile at Shane, Caitlyn got out of the car, ready to go into the house. She got out her key and unlocked the door, only to find her mother standing right in front of her. Caitlyn let out a shriek and was just about to run back to the car until her mother grabbed her hand and fell to the ground, sobbing.

"Please…" Sarah cried, holding Caitlyn's hand and pressing it to her cheek. "Please stay, even for a little while… Let me explain. After that, I'll understand if you want to leave me for good."

Caitlyn hesitantly nodded and went into the house. She nodded at Shane and Katrina, who had rushed out to see why she'd screamed, that it was alright. Both of them looked reluctant to let her go but decided to respect her choices and waited on the front porch.

Closing the door behind her, Caitlyn walked in and took off her shoes and sat down in the seat across the couch Sarah was sitting on. "Explain yourself," Caitlyn demanded tersely, slightly wary of her mother's outbursts.

A heavy sigh was released from Sarah's chest, and she stared into Caitlyn's eyes with a turbulent expression on her face. "There is a reason for my temper from the other night," she began hesitantly and her hands began that uncontrollable twitch she'd seen the other night.

"Yeah. Your drinking problem. What else is new?" the youth snapped bitterly. Caitlyn didn't want to deal with her mother's long, drawn out explanations of why she was so irritable. She had had them all before and was not in the mood for another. Not after what happened the last time she saw her mother.

Sarah exhaled deeply before saying, "It's not because of that. I wasn't drinking that night."

Caitlyn inhaled sharply, not wanting to believe her mother's temper was of her own accord.

"It's because…" Sarah paused and gazed at Caitlyn with turmoil-filled eyes. "Because I have Huntington's chorea."

"What?"

"It's a genetic disease that I got from Grandma's side of the family. She wasn't affected but her other sister was. Huntington's is a disease that can't be cured and…" Sarah sighed heavily. "I only have about another two decades to live."

Caitlyn's eyes widened and stared into her mother's solemn ones before jumping up to hug Sarah tightly. "How long have you known?" she whispered into her mother's shoulder.

"Two years. I figured you'd just think my symptoms and outbursts were because of my drinking, but apparently the symptoms have been showing up since you were in grade school," replied Sarah just as quietly.

"And you didn't tell me?!" Caitlyn ripped away from her mother and glared furiously at her mother, half hurt and half angry that she wasn't informed of her mother's condition.

"I'm sorry!" Sarah cried, tears rolling down her cheeks. She put her head in her hands. "I was—I always thought the clumsiness, the shaking, the memory loss—I always thought it was just because of the drinking, because of the depression and anxiety. But then I found out"—She let out a choked sob—"it was Huntington's, and I only had a couple of decades left to live. I won't be able to take care of you 'til the end, Caitlyn. I'll die when you're still young."

"But I'll be over thirty."

"Yeah, but by the end of the first decade, I'll be of no use to you. I won't be able to take care of my grandbabies or comfort you when times are hard. By then, I'll probably be in some sort of mental hospital, totally insane and suicidal."

"And what about now?" Caitlyn asked wearily. "Will you blow up at me and scream at me like last time?"

Sarah gave a shuddering sigh. "I'm truly sorry about that, Caity. Right now, I'll try to behave as well as I possibly can. But please," she pleaded, "don't be ashamed of me. Don't be mad at me for acting a way I can't help acting. But I understand if you want to leave me and go find a foster home or live with Shane. I know you'll be better off without me."

Caitlyn gathered her mother in her arms once more and let her sob on her shoulder. "I won't, Mom. I love you. I'll never leave you."

**And so a family was mended.**

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Damn. Does anyone think that was really weird? It just seemed really awkward. And for all you readers who want to be doctors or know about Huntington's, please don't criticize this. I don't know much about it, actually. Only a few facts here and there. x) I got it all from watching House and Wikipedia. But I did want to do something that would traumatize Caitlyn and plague her for all her life. I hope it was okay. And sorry that there wasn't much Shaitlyn fluff in it. But I promise, the next one will have lots!! :)

Feedback is appreciated!


	5. And so a Mind was Scarred

**_Disclaimer: It's funny, really. One moment, I held the rights to the CR movie in my hand. And then the next, I realized it was just a brochure to my cousin's paleontology camp. :P_**

**This chapter has more Shaitlyn fluff and humor in it, so I hope you guys like it. :) Special thanks to camirae, who is my official beta for this story. :) You're the bestest!**

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Caitlyn and Shane were walking over to Shane's house on a warm summer day, happily eating their ice cream and creamsicle, respectively. They had just come back from the fair that was in town, so all was well in their little world.

Until hell arrived.

Caitlyn instantly dropped her ice cream cone and paled, her pretty face contorting into a disgusted grimace. Oh, God. No. Not right now. It couldn't be... "Oh. My. God," muttered Caitlyn, horrified that it was happening right now. It wasn't as though she wasn't expecting it. Caitlyn was fourteen, after all. But to come in the middle of the perfect day? Fate was cruel to her.

"What?" Shane stopped mid-bite of his creamsicle to turn to Caitlyn.

"OH, MY FUCKING GOD!"

"What's wrong with you? Step in dog shit?"

"No, you jerk! I"--Caitlyn's voice dropped down to a whisper and a blush of embarrassment stained her face--"think I just got my first period."

Shane went pale and he, too, dropped his ice cream in a panic. "Oh." Ohcrapohcrapohcrapohcrap. He had heard plenty about the dreaded PMS girls had to go through. Hell, he'd experienced it plenty of his times with his mother's strange (and slightly terrifying) mood swings. Shane, however, had never expected to experience Caitlyn's, let alone her first. (Caitlyn was fourteen. Why the hell was she getting it now? Talk about underdeveloped, Shane thought vaguely.)

"Well, don't just stand there," snapped Caitlyn as her terrified gray eyes glared murderously up at her dumbfounded friend. "Let's go!" Making a mad dash for Shane's house, Caitlyn sprinted all the way there, slammed the front door open and bolted up the stairs into the spacious bathroom. She looked everywhere for a pad or a tampon that Auntie Katrina kept but found none. Oh, shit, she was screwed now. Panicking, she screamed out the doorway for Shane to get his ass up to the bathroom. He got there in less than ten seconds.

"Ohmigawd, what do you need? Are you okay? Can I get you anything?"

"Shane, there's a drugstore a few blocks from your house, and I need you to go down there and get me some tampons. No pads, okay? Tampons."

Nodding furiously, the boy took off in a dead sprint to the Rite Aid Caitlyn was speaking of. Barging through the doors, Shane looked around furiously for an aisle that was marked "tampons." He couldn't find one. Caitlyn would kill him if he didn't get any for her. He was tempted to call his mother for help, but she was away on a trip with friends at a spa and would definitely be annoyed that her luxurious weekend had been ruined. Shane had no death wish, so he left his phone in his pocket.

He browsed the aisles quickly and came across one titled "Feminine Care." Figuring that was his best bet, Shane went down the aisle, looking closely at each and every product, earning a few puzzled or sympathetic stares from the women (and a few men) who were also looking at the products. Finally, he came to the section for womens'... condition. (Hey, if that's what his dad called it, so would he.) He was left completely confused at which products to use. There were pads, tampons, stuff called panty-liners and some other crap. And what the hell was that, a diaper?

Ugh, Shane could feel a headache coming on as he looked at all of the different brands. To make it all simple for himself, Shane tried to think of what Caitlyn would want. He figured Caitlyn wouldn't want him to get her a cheap one, so he picked the most expensive one there (Well, there went seven dollars he was going to use for his trips to the pool.) and walked to the cash register as fast as he could.

Once he was there, the cashier sent an empathetic look to Shane. "Girlfriend?" he asked, ringing up the items.

"No, my best friend," Shane answered breathlessly, and a blush was faintly littered on his cheeks.

"Sure hope that friend's a girl, then," the cashier muttered as he bagged the box and handed them and the change to Shane. "Have a nice day."

"Yeah, right. It was already ruined, man," groused Shane. He took the bag from the man and pocketed the coins.

The cashier nodded empathetically. "I hear ya. Now go before you get your ear screamed off." He shooed Shane off, and the boy wasted no time hesitating. Once he was in the parking lot, Shane caught a glimpse of the ice cream truck near the sidewalk. Shane dashed to the truck to buy an ice cream similar to the one he had dropped on the sidewalk earlier. Hey, he was buying freaking tampons. _I should at least treat myself for this, _Shane decided. Once Shane had his ice cream, he sprinted back to his house and up to the bathroom, only to find Caitlyn pacing back and forth in her blood-stained underwear.

"Oh, God, put some pants on, Caity. I don't want blood on the tiles!" He shielded his eyes from the sight of his best friend and gingerly handed the box of tampons over while trying to hide the ice cream from her view.

"Is that what took you so long?!" shrieked Caitlyn, completely miffed. "You took half an hour for a freaking ice cream! I'm bleeding from my damn privates, Shane! I thought tampons were a bigger priority!"

Shane winced before giving Caitlyn a justifiable reason as to why he was so late. "There were a lot of brands of tampons, and I couldn't decide! And besides, I was a guy buying tampons for his best friend! I thought I had deserved a treat, seeing as I dropped my ice cream when you started bleeding! And why now, anyways? Don't girls usually get it a couple years earlier than you?"

Caitlyn blushed furiously. "Well, excuse me for developing late."

"You are excused."

"Oh, shut up," Caitlyn snapped. She viciously ripped the box of tampons open on the kitchen sink, hurriedly grabbing one and dashing behind the wall that shielded the toilet from view. As Caitlyn was getting her issues done, Shane stood there, calmly eating his ice cream. Of course, after a minute or so, Shane began to get bored, but when he made a move to leave, Caitlyn immediately told him if Shane opened that door, he was dead to her. So, with no other choice, he was forced to remain in the bathroom, waiting for Caitlyn to finish using the damn thing.

Soon, Shane finished his ice cream, and out of a vague curiosity, decided to investigate a tampon. He grabbed a package and opened it, idly poking it. What was with the hard stuff around it? Taking it off, he found it was only cotton on a string. (Shane momentarily wondered if he had a marker around to draw a face on the thing to make it look like a mouse.) Bored, he ran it under water, only to see it triple in size, along with Shane's eyes.

OH, HELL NO.

Disgusted, Shane quickly dropped the thing in the trash can by the sink and wiped his hands on his pants quickly. Jesus Christ. Were all tampons like that?! He looked at the one in the trash with mild curiosity. How weird.

Luckily Caitlyn finished just in time to keep Shane from doing the same thing with all the other tampons. She walked out from behind the wall, pulling her pants on. Caitlyn then walked to the sink wiping her hands on a piece of toilet paper. As she washed her hands, Shane stared at them in disgust, his nose wrinkling ever so slightly. He was never going to touch another tampon again.

This was an experience she never wanted to go through again. Caitlyn couldn't wait until menopause.

Gathering the tampons into the bag, she opened the door and walked out, with Shane following her from a distance. Once they were at the front door, Caitlyn said with a blush still clearly on her cheeks, "I think I better go home now and tell my mom about this. Then we can go shopping so you don't have to go again."

"Yeah, thank God."

Her expression softened. "Thanks so much for all of this, Shane. I really appreciate it." She made a move to hug her friend but was stopped when Shane put is hands on her shoulders.

"Don't touch me, Caity. Not with your hands. I know where they were," muttered Shane sternly and shuddered.

Caitlyn laughed loudly and gave Shane a peck on the cheek instead. She had the best friend any girl could ask for. "Really, though. Thanks. You're the best." She beamed at him before adding, "And I'm really sorry about the way I acted today. I won't ask you to get any more of my products again."

Shane chuckled softly and ruffled her hair. "Don't worry about it. I'm here if you need me, so don't hesitate to ask for help. But for the next few times, ask Nate or Jason." He shivered at the thought of having to go through another episode. And to think this would be going on for several more decades. "I need some time to get over this event."

Chuckling, Caitlyn rolled her eyes. "Yeah, yeah. I won't ask you for a while. You're such a wuss. You know your wife will have you doing this all the time, so you should be grateful I prepared you," she joked and laughed when her friend went pale.

"Yeah. Great."

"Anyways, I'll leave you to get over this," she snickered, "and I'll see you soon. Bye, Shane!" And with that, Caitlyn skipped off to her own house, humming a cheerful tune.

Closing the door, Shane leaned against it and sank to the ground. Today was one of the most horrifying experiences of his life, and all he wanted to do was bang his head against the wall to forget about this horrible day. "I never want to fucking hear the word 'tampon' ever again," he muttered as he went upstairs to his room. On his way there, he caught a glimpse of a small, wrapped item laying on one of the steps. Picking it up, he took the wrapper off. Shane went pale once more when the wrapper revealed what was underneath.

"AHHHHHH!"

**And so a mind was scarred.**

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Lol, I had a lot of fun writing this chapter. Like, seriously. I hope you liked reading it, too!

Feedback is appreciated!


	6. And so a Relationship was Started

**_Disclaimer: I don't own Camp Rock. Poo._**

**I hope you like this chapter. It's more Naitlyn than Shaitlyn, but there's gotta be some side plots, right? *shrugs***

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"You can't stay in your corner of the forest waiting for others to come to you. You have to go to them sometimes." –Winnie the Pooh

A pretty blonde rampaged through the halls of her high school, her cute face completely livid. This was never a good sign. The diva had just been turned down by who was considered to be the most gorgeous guy in school—Shane Gray. A group of equally pretty girls followed her and offered consoling words.

"No one turns Tess Tyler down!" the blonde fumed, her blue eyes flashing dangerously. "I'm the daughter of TJ Tyler, for Christ's sake!"

"Shane will come around, Tess. I bet he didn't have enough sleep or something," reassured a petite brunette at Tess' right arm.

Tess took a deep breath to calm down. "You're right," she conceded. "He was probably delusional. Maybe he didn't hear me clearly or something." It had to be that. No boy in their right mind would turn down a relationship with Tess Tyler. She was a fucking bombshell! Never in her life had she been refused!

"He said he had other plans with some other girl… Karen? Carol? Kaylin? Caitlyn! That's her name!" a redhead to Tess' left exclaimed. "Maybe if you take her out, he'll be free. I doubt they're in a relationship, anyways." She made a face. "I've seen her—she's totally ugly."

A smirk made its way into Tess' face and twisted it into a malevolent expression. If she could just separate those two Saturday night, then Shane would have a chance to experience the type of girlfriend she could be!

Deciding to put her plan into action, Tess went on a hunt to find Karen or what's-her-face. When she befriended the girl, she could convince her to have other plans on Saturday night, and then Tess would have Shane all to herself…

Tess caught a glimpse of the girl. She recognized her as the girl who had run up to Shane right after he turned her down. It made her so mad to see how affectionate he was to that ugly girl instead of her! "Hey, Karen!" she shouted, hoping that the girl would turn. A girl a few feet away from her turned to look at Tess. Nope. Wrong name. "Carol?" Still didn't turn. Frustrated, Tess settled for shouting, "GIRL IN GRAY SWEATSHIRT, TURN TO ME!"

Finally, the girl turned with an annoyed expression on her face. "My name is Caitlyn," she muttered when Tess walked up, her voice irritable.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever," said Tess dismissively. "Caity, you and I are now best friends." At Caitlyn's skeptical look, Tess continued, "You and I are going to hang out tomorrow night, okay? Okay. Meet me at the movies at seven thirty, and I'm not going to take no for an answer." When Caitlyn blinked, Tess took it as an agreement. "Great! Ciao, babe!" She strutted off, leaving a confused Caitlyn in the dust.

Tess walked off to find Shane, who she found was talking to his friend Jason. When Jason walked off, Tess dashed over to chat with her current crush. "Hey, Shane," she said in a cool way which didn't reflect her inner thoughts. "Anyways, your friend Caitlyn cancelled on you, so you're free on Saturday night. Okay? Okay. I'll meet you at the movies, babe!" She walked off before Shane had a chance to answer.

Caitlyn was walking home after school, still pondering what had happened in the halls. What the hell was that diva talking about now? Tess Tyler never showed any interest in her before, so why now? Then it hit her, and she chuckled amusedly.

Shane.

She continued to laugh softly at the thought of Shane and Tess going out. He could never put up with a loud, snobby, and bitchy dominatrix like Tess Tyler. But she figured it was all a ruse. Caitlyn would show up at the movies and Shane would as well, only they wouldn't know it. Then Tess would either stay with her for a little bit then say she would "go to the bathroom" or just ditch her outright. Either way, Caitlyn didn't feel like going to the movies on Saturday. If Tess wanted her gone so badly, she would just go hang out with Nate or Jason.

"Hey, Caity!" a familiar voice called from behind her. Caitlyn turned around and saw it was Shane. He ran up to her and walked with his friend. "Why'd you cancel on Saturday?"

She let out a tinkling laugh. "That's just Tess talking. She wants to go out with you on Saturday, so she told me that we'd hang out that day too, probably just to get me out of her way. It's fine, though," she said, cutting off Shane as he was about to speak. "You go on your date, and I can just hang with Nate or Jason."

Shane smirked. "Hang with Nate, huh?" said Shane teasingly, nudging Caitlyn with his elbow. "Nate and Caitlyn sittin' in a tree, doin' something they shouldn't be."

Blushing furiously, Caitlyn slapped Shane's arm and hissed, "Shut up! You know I don't like him!" It was, of course, a lie. Caitlyn had a fiery crush on the curly-haired male for at least a year or two.

"I know," he chuckled, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively. "You loooove Nate."

Unable to come up with a better comeback, Caitlyn feebly retorted, "Your face loves Nate."

Shane laughed the rest of the way home.

It was Saturday night, and Caitlyn was setting up for a Laugh-Your-Ass-Off marathon with Nate. (Jason had been unable to go, saying he had been grounded for playing the autographed guitar his parents had over the mantle.) She had told Tess she wouldn't be able to make it on Saturday, so Tess would have Shane all to herself. The blonde, slightly disgruntled at the fact her plan had been discovered, took the news with grace despite the joy welling inside of her at the thought of spending time alone with Shane. (Her friend, however, had not been as happy, hoping to get out of the date.)

The doorbell rang, and Sarah answered the door. Caitlyn hid behind the corner, just in case her mother had another psychotic episode. (Sarah's Huntington's had worsened over the years, and the uncontrollable movements of her body had also increased.)

"Hello, Nathaniel," murmured Sarah idly. "Come in, Caitlyn is waiting for you." Caitlyn was grateful her mother put an effort to not scream that night. Though her mother suffered from an incurable disease, she was still perfectly sane and kind. Sarah walked away, heading to her room to leave the kids alone.

Nate walked in to the room, gently closing the door behind him and removing his shoes. "Your mom looks like she's doing a lot better," he remarked quietly, hanging up his coat on the rack.

"Yeah, but Mom's kind of drugged on her medicine right now, so that's why she seems so dazed," Caitlyn replied, shrugging. "Now come on, the popcorn's getting cold." She led Nate to the living room where the movies, drinks, and popcorn were laid out neatly on the coffee table.

Nate smiled and said, "I can't wait."

About half an hour into '40-Year-Old-Virgin,' Nate and Caitlyn had gone through the entire bowl of popcorn and two-liter bottle of Coke. By then, the two were beginning to completely ignore the movie and started talking.

"I feel bad for Shane, being forced to go out with Tess like that," Nate remarked, chuckling. "The poor guy, I don't think he'll even get a chance to watch the movie."

Caitlyn let out a giggle before saying, "He's probably thinking of running away by now."

"In a way," Nate's voice suddenly turned into a serious tone, "I guess I'm sort of jealous."

"Why?"

"Because he's the one closest to you," he whispered shyly, refusing to make eye contact with Caitlyn. Caitlyn blushed furiously and remained quiet. Nate, slightly unnerved by her silence, decided to keep talking. "I've—it's been eight years since we first met, and I've loved you for three of them. I'm just tired of waiting. You know I've never been the patient type, right?"

She nodded, her face still a vibrant shade of red.

"So I want to ask you," he continued, "if you'll go out with me." Nate wrung his hands together nervously, awaiting her response.

Caitlyn merely nodded dumbly before her face broke into a grin. "Yeah, I will." She couldn't help but think she was going to be the target of Shane's teasing for at least another week after he found out about it, but she didn't care.

Nate's face lit up when he heard Caitlyn's reply, and he gathered her thin frame in her strong arms in a hug. Letting go of Caitlyn for a brief moment, Nate left his face a mere few inches away from hers. Then, slowly but confidently, he leaned in and kissed her.

Caitlyn felt her inside lurch and her face heat up, but she didn't mind. She found that she liked those feelings Nate made her feel. Caitlyn let Nate shyly kiss her for a few seconds before he pulled away, beaming at her.

**And so a relationship was started.**

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Hahaha, so corny, right? But hey, I hope it sufficed.

Feedback is appreciated!


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